History of Bangkok
| Timeline | |
|---|---|
| c 14th c. | Settlement of Bangkok |
| c 1538 | Construction of river bypass canal |
| 1688 | Siege of Bangkok expels French |
| 1767 | Fall of Ayutthaya; Taksin establishes Thonburi as capital |
| 1782 | Phutthayotfa Chulalok moves capital to eastern bank |
| 1820 | Cholera pandemic kills 30,000 |
| 1849 | Cholera again devastates population |
| 1864 | First paved road constructed |
| 1893 | Paknam railway opens |
| 1893 | Paknam Incident & French blockade |
| 1894 | Electric trams begin service |
| 1914 | Beginning of city water supply |
| 1924 | Don Mueang Airport opens |
| 1932 | Memorial Bridge opens |
| 1932 | Coup ends absolute monarchy |
| 1941–45 | Bombing of Bangkok in World War II |
| 1942 | City-wide flooding lasts 2 months |
| 1968 | First high-rise building constructed |
| 1972 | Merger of Phra Nakhon and Thonburi Provinces |
| 1975 | Establishment of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration |
| 1981 | First expressway opens to service |
| 1985 | First governor election |
| 1998 | Bangkok hosts Asian Games |
| 1999 | BTS Skytrain begins operation |
| 2011 | Severe floods inundate parts of city |
| 2015 | August 2015 Bangkok bombing kills 23 in Thailand's deadliest-ever single terrorist attack |
The history of the city of Bangkok, in Thailand, dates at least to the early 15th century, when it was under the rule of Ayutthaya. Due to its strategic location near the mouth of the Chao Phraya River, the town gradually increased in importance, and after the fall of Ayutthaya King Taksin established his new capital of Thonburi there, on the river's western bank. King Phutthayotfa Chulalok, who succeeded Taksin, moved the capital to the eastern bank in 1782, to which the city dates its foundation under its current Thai name, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon. Bangkok has since undergone tremendous changes, growing rapidly, especially in the second half of the 20th century, to become the primate city of Thailand. It was the centre of Siam's modernization in the late 19th century, subjected to Allied bombing during the Second World War, and has long been the modern nation's central political stage, with numerous uprisings and coups d'état having taken place on its streets throughout the years.
It is not known exactly when the area which is now Bangkok was first settled. It probably originated as a small farming and trading community, located in a meander of the Chao Phraya River within the mandala of Ayutthaya's influence. The town had become an important customs outpost by as early as the 15th century; the title of its customs official is given as Nai Phra Khanon Thonburi (Thai: นายพระขนอนทณบุรี) in a document from the reign of Ayutthayan king Chao Sam Phraya (1424–48). The name also appears in the 1805 revised code of laws known as the Law of Three Seals.
At the time, the Chao Phraya flowed through what is now Bangkok Noi and Bangkok Yai Canals, forming a large loop in which the town was situated. In the reign of King Chairacha (either in 1538 or 1542), a waterway was excavated, bypassing the loop and easing navigation for ships sailing up to Ayutthaya. The flow of the river has since changed to follow the new waterway, dividing the town and making the western part an island. This geographical feature may have given the town the name Bang Ko (บางเกาะ), meaning island village, which later became Bangkok (บางกอก, pronounced in Thai as [bāːŋ kɔ̀ːk]). Another theory regarding the origin of the name speculates that it is shortened from Bang Makok (บางมะกอก), makok being the name of Spondias pinnata, a plant bearing olive-like fruit. This is supported by the fact that Wat Arun, a historic temple in the area, used to be named Wat Makok. Specific mention of the town was first made in the royal chronicles from the reign of King Maha Chakkraphat (1548–68), giving its name as Thonburi Si Mahasamut (ธนบุรีศรีมหาสมุทร). Bangkok was probably a colloquial name, albeit one widely adopted by foreign visitors.
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